NCCU News: BBRI Director Appointed to the American Heart Association Board of Directors

Dr. Sean Kimbro

Published: Thursday, December 05, 2013

Dr. Sean Kimbro, director of the North Carolina Central University Julius L. Chambers Biomedical/Biotechnology Research Institute (BBRI) and associate professor of biology, has been appointed to the American Heart Association Board of Directors for the 2014-15 year.

At BBRI, Kimbro leads a team of research scientists whose mission includes exploring the biological and behavioral causes for cardio-metabolic disease, cancer, neurological diseases, alcohol abuse and nutraceuticals as treatments for some of these diseases. He is currently a co-principal investigator, with Dr. Mildred Pointer, NCCU associate professor, on a National Institutes of Health grant that supports the NCCU Center for Translational Health Equality Research, housed in BBRI. The center focuses on a multi-disciplinary approach to addressing cardio-metabolic diseases within the African-American community. Kimbro’s appointment to the American Heart Association Board provides an opportunity to advance NCCU and BBRI’s mission to address, explain, and eliminate diseases that disproportionately impact ethnic minorities.

His personal research interests are the characterization of cancers that disproportionately affect various ethnic groups, particularly prostate and breast cancer. He has been influential in the continuing efforts to increase the number of ethnic minority biomedical researchers and has led by example by training numerous African-American students in molecular biology at institutions across the Southeast. In addition, he has served on numerous NIH grant review panels, and has been the recipient of numerous awards from various research organizations related to biomedical research and student training.

“Dr. Kimbro’s appointment to the AHA Board is a win/win for NCCU and the Board,” said Dr. Hazell Reed, vice chancellor for Research and Economic Development at NCCU. “This appointment highlights the fact that NCCU is recognized in the larger community as a major contributor in addressing Cardio-metabolic diseases. With this selection, the Board will have a person that can speak directly to its members based on research conducted at NCCU related to heart diseases, as well health and health disparities, which is a plus for both organizations.”

Kimbro received his undergraduate degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., and his Ph.D. in molecular and microbiology from Indiana University, Bloomington, Ind. He was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard Medical School and a fellow at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Research Triangle Park, N.C.

Founded in 1924, the American Heart Association is the nation’s oldest and largest voluntary health organization dedicated to fighting heart disease and stroke. The organization includes more than 22.5 million volunteers and supporters, 144 local offices and nearly 2,700 employees. The mission of the American Heart Association is to build healthier lives by preventing, treating and defeating heart disease and stroke – two of America’s leading killers. Through cutting-edge research, lifesaving public and professional educational programs, and public health advocacy AHA is protecting and improving the health of communities.